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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPMay 8, 2012K.J. ChoiPONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA LAURA HILL: We'd like to welcome our defending champion, 2011 PLAYERS Champion K.J. Choi. It doesn't seem like a whole year since you sat up here having won as a over David Toms. Talk about being back at Sawgrass to defend. K.J. CHOI: Everybody, good afternoon. I'm so proud to come here, everybody in the world coming. Everybody friendly and hometown, and 2000 in Jacksonville, I lived here. So last year is fantastic, the tournament, great win, and Choi's Bois are here, so fantastic play. David Toms is a wonderful player last year. Inside five feet, six feet, never missed putts, and he just on 17 missed, and I saw him, and a little bit sad. Anyway, coming to Monday and Tuesday, I'm so happy. Everybody is so welcoming. Thank you so much, everybody. Q. I wasn't aware that you had gotten so famous since winning THE PLAYERS Championship that you now needed bodyguards. How has your life changed the most by winning THE PLAYERS Championship and since winning THE PLAYERS? K.J. CHOI: When I moved here from Korea in 2000, I started practicing out of this course, out of TPC Sawgrass, and back then, it didn't‑‑ I didn't even realize, I couldn't even dream that I could win this tournament. So I've practiced out of this course for 11 years now, and every year that I play, I've never finished‑‑ I don't think I've ever finished better than top 25. So coming into the tournament last year, my goal was to try to get into the top 25, and I think I felt something from the Lord, I felt some sort of a strength that it was going to be a different week. So I just took it one hole at a time, and as the holes went by on the final day, I felt more and more comfortable, and I felt the Lord was with me to the end. I was able to finish off the tournament on a good note. Ever since the win here last year, I've felt like I've been getting more and more support from the fans, just not only here but all around the world. Everywhere that I go, they're noticing me even more, felt very welcoming. It's been a good experience. Q. When John Huh beat you two years ago in Korea, Shinhan Open in 2009, what did you think of that kid, and talk about what he has accomplished as a rookie this year, coming through Q‑school, finishing second and playing so well? K.J. CHOI: Yeah, when I played with him back in 2009, I noticed that he had a very good control of the ball and he had a very strong short game. As you know, since the Shinhan Open, he gained a lot of confidence, and playing in the Q‑school the way that he was able to secure his card by getting into the top 25 on the final day in a dramatic fashion, I think he gained more confidence then. As he gains more and more experience, obviously the confidence factor really played critical in his mind, and he was able to think positive. And I think playing on the TOUR this year, I guess he felt that he could compete out here. I think that's what really drove him to win the tournament that he did. Q. No player has ever successfully defended this championship here. Why do you think it's so difficult to do that? K.J. CHOI: This is the type of a course where you have to really concentrate on every shot. That's just the way it is. There's so much pressure out there, emotionally, not only golf‑wise, but you have to have control of your emotions, as well. You have to set your expectations low and not ignore all the risks that are out there, because one shot‑‑ if you lose one shot, then that could be it. That could be the end of the tournament. I think this course is good in a way because it gives a fair amount of chance to both guys who can hit the ball long, and also guys who don't hit it as long. So everybody has a chance. The important thing is that you have to gain control of your emotions and all the technical factors that go into it. Q. Last year you did not know the Choi's Bois; is that correct? K.J. CHOI: No. Q. I see you've become friends now. Can you explain to us how you all got together?  Did you reach out to them? Did they reach out to you? Did your manager help? How did this happen? K.J. CHOI: You know, yeah, we've been keeping in touch through the last year. But I don't think that's really important, how often you see, you meet them. I think the Choi's Bois and I share a mental bond together where just by looking at each other's faces, we have a camaraderie between us. And things like that you can't really‑‑ it's something that you can only feel through your heart. To have such supporting fans as the Choi's Bois, without fans, as I always say, there's no player. And without any sponsors, there's no tournament or player. So there's a special relationship between us that is never going to go away, and to have‑‑ the only thing that I can do to pay back is to play my best, and they've become a good role model for a lot of the young kids. I just feel very special to have a relationship with them. Q. I'd like to ask you about the par‑3s on the back side. Talk a little bit about the 13th hole first, strategically how that comes in the round. Is it a hole that you want to attack or are you just happy with par there? K.J. CHOI: The par‑3s here generally have a very small target, and the greens slope, so you have to use that to your advantage. Last year I was able to play the par‑3s with a cut shot, and what I would do is try to land‑‑ have the ball land on the slope and let it roll to the hole. I think that's the way you have to play the par‑3s on this course, because all the greens tend to slope to one side. With a cut shot, I think players will be able to overcome the pressure. I'm pretty sure that a lot of players will play their cut shot. For me on the last day, on the 17th hole, I played it three times. The birdie shot that I made, the last shot, it was a left‑to‑right wind. I also played that as a cut shot, used the slope to my advantage. It was a downhill putt, was able to make that. I think the important factor is that you have to‑‑ when you play the par‑3s, you have to be comfortable out there. You have to use your confidence to your advantage because only then will you be able to hit the shots that you want to. LAURA HILL: If you weren't famous enough, you had 7,000 of these chock owe pies delivered to the volunteers and media, so make sure everyone knows the story behind that, why you sent these and what these mean. K.J. CHOI: Yeah, I mean, this year I heard through the TOUR that Tim Clark gave away cupcakes to the volunteers, so I thought it was a good idea to do something similar but to kind of do it in my own way to promote Korea where I'm from because I grew up eating those. And as one of the representing players from Korea, I want to give as a gift something I grew up with, and I was glad to hear that everybody liked it. It just makes me feel good that I'm able to give back in such a way. LAURA HILL: K.J. thanks for your time today, and good luck this week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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